The overall importance of parent and family involvement as the foundation for all other education reforms warranted the establishment of national standards to guide parent involvement programs and evaluate their quality and effectiveness. The National Standards for Parent/ Family Involvement Programs were developed in 1998 by the National PTA in cooperation with education and parent involvement professionals and through the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE). These standards were built upon the six keys of parent involvement identified by Dr. Joyce Epstein of the Center of School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University.

The following are the six keys for involvement and some of the ways the Boise School District uses these keys to build strong programs for student success.

Key #1 - Parenting

Helping all families provide a supportive and healthy home environment where learning can take place.